the hunchback of notre dame- 第15部分

〃Help！　gentlemen　of　the　watch！〃　shouted　Gringoire；　and　advanced　bravely。　　One　of　the　men　who　held　the　young　girl　turned　towards　him。　　It　was　the　formidable　visage　of　Quasimodo。

Gringoire　did　not　take　to　flight；　but　neither　did　he　advance　another　step。

Quasimodo　came　up　to　him；　tossed　him　four　paces　away　on　the　pavement　with　a　backward　turn　of　the　hand；　and　plunged　rapidly　into　the　gloom；　bearing　the　young　girl　folded　across　one　arm　like　a　silken　scarf。　　His　companion　followed　him；　and　the　poor　goat　ran　after　them　all；　bleating　plaintively。

〃Murder！　murder！〃　shrieked　the　unhappy　gypsy。

〃Halt；　rascals；　and　yield　me　that　wench！〃　suddenly　shouted　in　a　voice　of　thunder；　a　cavalier　who　appeared　suddenly　from　a　neighboring　square。

It　was　a　captain　of　the　king's　archers；　armed　from　head　to　foot；　with　his　sword　in　his　hand。

He　tore　the　gypsy　from　the　arms　of　the　dazed　Quasimodo；　threw　her　across　his　saddle；　and　at　the　moment　when　the　terrible　hunchback；　recovering　from　his　surprise；　rushed　upon　him　to　regain　his　prey；　fifteen　or　sixteen　archers；　who　followed　their　captain　closely；　made　their　appearance；　with　their　two…edged　swords　in　their　fists。　　It　was　a　squad　of　the　king's　police；　which　was　making　the　rounds；　by　order　of　Messire　Robert　d'Estouteville；　guard　of　the　provostship　of　Paris。

Quasimodo　was　surrounded；　seized；　garroted；　he　roared；　he　foamed　at　the　mouth；　he　bit；　and　had　it　been　broad　daylight；　there　is　no　doubt　that　his　face　alone；　rendered　more　hideous　by　wrath；　would　have　put　the　entire　squad　to　flight。　　But　by　night　he　was　deprived　of　his　most　formidable　weapon；　his　ugliness。

His　companion　had　disappeared　during　the　struggle。

The　gypsy　gracefully　raised　herself　upright　upon　the　officer's　saddle；　placed　both　hands　upon　the　young　man's　shoulders；　and　gazed　fixedly　at　him　for　several　seconds；　as　though　enchanted　with　his　good　looks　and　with　the　aid　which　he　had　just　rendered　her。　　Then　breaking　silence　first；　she　said　to　him；　making　her　sweet　voice　still　sweeter　than　usual；

〃What　is　your　name；　monsieur　le　gendarme？〃

〃Captain　Phoebus　de　Chateaupers；　at　your　service；　my　beauty！〃　replied　the　officer；　drawing　himself　up。

〃Thanks；〃　said　she。

And　while　Captain　Phoebus　was　turning　up　his　moustache　in　Burgundian　fashion；　she　slipped　from　the　horse；　like　an　arrow　falling　to　earth；　and　fled。

A　flash　of　lightning　would　have　vanished　less　quickly。

〃Nombrill　of　the　Pope！〃　said　the　captain；　causing　Quasimodo's　straps　to　be　drawn　tighter；　〃I　should　have　preferred　to　keep　the　wench。〃

〃What　would　you　have；　captain？〃　said　one　gendarme。　　〃The　warbler　has　fled；　and　the　bat　remains。〃




CHAPTER　V。

RESULT　OF　THE　DANGERS。


Gringoire；　thoroughly　stunned　by　his　fall；　remained　on　the　pavement　in　front　of　the　Holy　Virgin　at　the　street　corner。　Little　by　little；　he　regained　his　senses；　at　first；　for　several　minutes；　he　was　floating　in　a　sort　of　half…somnolent　revery；　which　was　not　without　its　charm；　in　which　aeriel　figures　of　the　gypsy　and　her　goat　were　coupled　with　Quasimodo's　heavy　fist。　　This　state　lasted　but　a　short　time。　　A　decidedly　vivid　sensation　of　cold　in　the　part　of　his　body　which　was　in　contact　with　the　pavement；　suddenly　aroused　him　and　caused　his　spirit　to　return　to　the　surface。

〃Whence　comes　this　chill？〃　he　said　abruptly；　to　himself。　He　then　perceived　that　he　was　lying　half　in　the　middle　of　the　gutter。

〃That　devil　of　a　hunchbacked　cyclops！〃　he　muttered　between　his　teeth；　and　he　tried　to　rise。　　But　he　was　too　much　dazed　and　bruised；　he　was　forced　to　remain　where　he　was。　Moreover；　his　hand　was　tolerably　free；　he　stopped　up　his　nose　and　resigned　himself。

〃The　mud　of　Paris；〃　he　said　to　himselffor　decidedly　he　thought　that　he　was　sure　that　the　gutter　would　prove　his　refuge　for　the　night；　and　what　can　one　do　in　a　refuge；　except　dream？〃the　mud　of　Paris　is　particularly　stinking；　it　must　contain　a　great　deal　of　volatile　and　nitric　salts。　　That；　moreover；　is　the　opinion　of　Master　Nicholas　Flamel；　and　of　the　alchemists〃

The　word　〃alchemists〃　suddenly　suggested　to　his　mind　the　idea　of　Archdeacon　Claude　Frollo。　　He　recalled　the　violent　scene　which　he　had　just　witnessed　in　part；　that　the　gypsy　was　struggling　with　two　men；　that　Quasimodo　had　a　companion；　and　the　morose　and　haughty　face　of　the　archdeacon　passed　confusedly　through　his　memory。　　〃That　would　be　strange！〃　he　said　to　himself。　　And　on　that　fact　and　that　basis　he　began　to　construct　a　fantastic　edifice　of　hypothesis；　that　card…castle　of　philosophers；　then；　suddenly　returning　once　more　to　reality；　〃Come！　　I'm　freezing！〃　he　ejaculated。

The　place　was；　in　fact；　becoming　less　and　less　tenable。　Each　molecule　of　the　gutter　bore　away　a　molecule　of　heat　radiating　from　Gringoire's　loins；　and　the　equilibrium　between　the　temperature　of　his　body　and　the　temperature　of　the　brook；　began　to　be　established　in　rough　fashion。

Quite　a　different　annoyance　suddenly　assailed　him。　　A　group　of　children；　those　little　bare…footed　savages　who　have　always　roamed　the　pavements　of　Paris　under　the　eternal　name　of　~gamins~；　and　who；　when　we　were　also　children　ourselves；　threw　stones　at　all　of　us　in　the　afternoon；　when　we　came　out　of　school；　because　our　trousers　were　not　torna　swarm　of　these　young　scamps　rushed　towards　the　square　where　Gringoire　lay；　with　shouts　and　laughter　which　seemed　to　pay　but　little　heed　to　the　sleep　of　the　neighbors。　　They　were　dragging　after　them　some　sort　of　hideous　sack；　and　the　noise　of　their　wooden　shoes　alone　would　have　roused　the　dead。　　Gringoire　who　was　not　quite　dead　yet；　half　raised　himself。

〃Ohé；　Hennequin　Dandéche！　　Ohè；　Jehan　Pincebourde！〃　they　shouted　in　deafening　tones；　〃old　Eustache　Moubon；　the　merchant　at　the　corner；　has　just　died。　　We've　got　his　straw　pallet；　we're　going　to　have　a　bonfire　out　of　it。　　It's　the　turn　of　the　Flemish　to…day！〃

And　behold；　they　flung　the　pallet　directly　upon　Gringoire；　beside　whom　they　had　arrived；　without　espying　him。　　At　the　same　time；　one　of　them　took　a　handful　of　straw　and　set　off　to　light　it　at　the　wick　of　the　good　Virgin。

〃S'death！〃　growled　Gringoire；　〃am　I　going　to　be　too　warm　now？〃

It　was　a　critical　moment。　　He　was　caught　between　fire　and　water；　he　made　a　superhuman　effort；　the　effort　of　a　counterfeiter　of　money　who　is　on　the　point　of　being　boiled；　and　who　seeks　to　escape。　　He　rose　to　his　feet；　flung　aside　the　straw　pallet　upon　the　street　urchins；　and　fled。

〃Holy　Virgin！〃　shrieked　the　children；　〃'tis　the　merchant's　ghost！〃

And　they　fled　in　their　turn。

The　straw　mattress　remained　master　of　the　field。　　Belleforet；　Father　Le　Juge；　and　Corrozet　affirm　that　it　was　picked　up　on　the　morrow；　with　great　pomp；　by　the　clergy　of　the　quarter；　and　borne　to　the　treasury　of　the　church　of　Saint　Opportune；　where　the　sacristan；　even　as　late　as　1789；　earned　a　tolerably　handsome　revenue　out　of　the　great　miracle　of　the　Statue　of　the　Virgin　at　the　corner　of　the　Rue　Mauconseil；　which　had；　by　its　mere　presence；　on　the　memorable　night　between　the　sixth　and　seventh　of　January；　1482；　exorcised　the　defunct　Eustache　Moubon；　who；　in　order　to　play　a　trick　on　the　devil；　had　at　his　death　maliciously　concealed　his　soul　in　his　straw　pallet。




CHAPTER　VI。

THE　BROKEN　JUG。



After　having　run　for　some　time　at　the　top　of　his　speed；　without　knowing　whither；　knocking　his　head　against　many　a　street　corner；　leaping　many　a　gutter；　traversing　many　an　alley；　many　a　court；　many　a　square；　seeking　flight　and　passage　through　all　the　meanderings　of　the　ancient　passages　of　the　Halles；　exploring　in　his　panic　terror　what　the　fine　Latin　of　the　maps　calls　~tota　via；　cheminum　et　viaria~；　our　poet　suddenly　halted　for　lack　of　breath　in　the　first　place；　and　in　the　second；　because　he　had　been　collared；　after　a　fashion；　by　a　dilemma　which　had　just　occurred　to　his　mind。　　〃It　strikes　me；　Master　Pierre　Gringoire；〃　he　said　to　himself；　placing　his　finger　to　his　brow；　〃that　you　are　running　like　a　madman。　　The　little　scamps　are　no　less　afraid　of　you　than　you　are　of　them。　　It　strikes　me；　I　say；　that　you　heard　the　clatter　of　their　wooden　shoes　fleeing　southward；　while　you　were　fleeing　northward。　　Now；　one　of　two　things；　either　they　have　taken　flight；　and　the　pallet；　which　they　must　have　forgotten　in　their　terror；　is　precisely　that　hospitable　bed　in　search　of　which　you　have　been　running　ever　since　morning；　and　which　madame　the　Virgin　miraculously　sends　you；　in　order　to　recompense　you　for　having　made　a　morality　in　her　honor；　accompanied　by　triumphs　and　mummeries；　or　the　children　have　not　taken　flight；　and　in　that　case　they　have　put　the　brand　to　the　pallet；　and　that　is　precisely　the　good　fire　which　you　need　to　cheer；　dry；　and　warm　you。　　In　either　case；　good　fire　or　good　bed；　that　straw　pallet　is　a　gift　from　heaven。　　The　blessed　Virgin　Marie　who　stands　at　the　corner　of　the　Rue　Mauconseil；　could　only　have　made　Eustache　Moubon　die　for　that　express　purpose；　and　it　is　folly　on　your　part　to　flee　thus　zigzag；　like　a　Picard　before　a　Frenchman；　leaving　behind　you　what　you　seek　before　you；　and　you　are　a　fool！〃

Then　he　retraced　his　steps；　and　feeling　his　way　and　searching；　with　his　nose　to　the　wind　and　his　ears　on　the　alert；　he　tried　to　find　the　blessed　pallet　again；　but　in　vain。　　There　was　nothing　to　be　found　but　intersections　of　houses；　closed　courts；　and　crossings　of　streets；　in　the　midst　of　which　he　hesitated　and　doubted　incessantly；　being　more　perplexed　and　entangled　in　this　medley　of　streets　than　he　would　have　been　even　in　the　labyrinth　of　the　H？tel　des　Tournelles。　　At　length　he　lost　patience；　and　exclaimed　solemnly：　〃Cursed　be　cross　roads！　'tis　the　devil　who　has　made　them　in　the　shape　of　his　pitchfork！〃

This　exclamation　afforded　him　a　little　solace；　and　a　sort　of　reddish　reflection　which　he　caught　sight　of　at　that　moment；　at　the　extremity　of　a　long　and　narrow　lane；　completed　the　elevation　of　his　moral　tone。　　〃God　be　praised！〃　said　he；　〃There　it　is　yonder！　　There　is　my　pallet　burning。〃　　And　comparing　himself　to　the　pilot　who　suffers　shipwreck　by　night；　〃~Salve~；〃　he　added　piously；　〃~salve；　maris　stella~！〃

Did　he　address　this　fragment　of　litany　to　the　Holy　Virgin；　or　to　the　pallet？　　We　are　utterly　unable　to　say。

He　had　taken　but　a　few　steps　in　the　long　street；　which　sloped　downwards；　was　unpaved；　and　more　and　more　muddy